<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Fledgling Bird by archosaur_automaton</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23755663">A Fledgling Bird</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/archosaur_automaton/pseuds/archosaur_automaton'>archosaur_automaton</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Jewish Character, Jewish Headcanons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:35:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>438</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23755663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/archosaur_automaton/pseuds/archosaur_automaton</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jadzia gives Worf a piece of her mind.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jadzia Dax/Worf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Fledgling Bird</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the first of many, many little fics I plan to write about Worf's Jewishness.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Worf, do you know what your problem is?”</p>
<p>Worf turned to Jadzia, who was regarding him intently. </p>
<p>“I was not aware that I had any variety of ‘problem’, but that will not stop you from telling me, will it?” </p>
<p>Jadzia smirked. “Now, forgive me if I’m overstepping my bounds, as it’s not my culture, but there’s a story from the Talmud that I think describes you perfectly.”</p>
<p>Worf looked at her in surprise. “You are familiar with the Talmud?” </p>
<p>“One of Curzon’s best friends at the Embassy was Yusuf Abravanel. The two of them would study together and argue for hours on end. When the 50th Daf Yomi cycle started, almost every night for two months they discussed and debated the shiur for the day.”</p>
<p>Worf’s eyes widened. “Abravanel was an incredible teacher and scholar of Torah, in addition to his career as a diplomat. His works have been greatly influential to me.” He sighed sadly. “May his memory be for a blessing.” Jadzia nodded in agreement, and the two of them sat there in silence.</p>
<p>After a moment, Worf perked up again, his expression curious and interested. “But at any rate, tell me -- what midrash do you have to impart that describes my ‘problem’, as you put it?”</p>
<p>Jadzia gave a sly smile. “Now, you’re no doubt familiar with this story, but it’s one of my favorites. The Talmud states: If a fledgling bird is found within fifty cubits of a man’s property, it belongs to the owner of the property. If it is found outside of the limit of fifty cubits, it belongs to whoever finds it first. Rabbi Jeremiah asked: ‘If one foot of the bird is within the limit of fifty cubits, and one foot is outside it, what is the law?’ It was for this reason that Rabbi Jeremiah was thrown out of the house of study.” She looked at Worf, whose face was strangely placid, before continuing. “The problem with you, Worf, is that you’re like Rabbi Jeremiah; so concerned with the exactitudes and the letter of the law that you miss sight of its spirit.”</p>
<p>Worf sighed and looked down at his feet, his hands fidgeting. Jadzia frowned, concerned, and moved closer to her par'Mach'kai. </p>
<p>“Worf, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have, it was probably terribly insensitive of me.”</p>
<p>The Klingon looked up, a wistful smile on his face. “No, it is not that, it is just...” he trailed off, his face scrunched up in thought. “It is just that, I was told the exact same story and given the exact same criticism by my Hebrew teacher when I was a boy.”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>